The angel Gabriel went to the oracle on Mount Sinai, looking for a wife. (from the first line)

From the acclaimed author of "Shape-Changer's Wife" comes a stunningly beautiful novel of a distant future--where the fate of the world rests on the voice of an angel.

From the Publisher:A tale of the distant future by the author of The Shape-Changer's Wife brings readers to a world in which the fate of all life rests on the voice of an angel. Reprint. K. AB.Generations after Samaria is first settled, corruption threatens to destroy the colony, and the only hope of avoiding an Armageddon is the crowning of a new Archangel, Gabriel, who must first marry a mortal woman, Rachel, who has her own ideas about her l

Annotation:The first volume in a series. The utopian society of the Harmonics has descended into an age of corruption, placing the Samarians in grave danger. It is decided that a new Archangel must be crowned but that he must first wed a mortal woman. Rachel, the woman, has other ideas.This romantic science fantasy launched author Sharon Shinn's Samaria series. Five hundred years ago, refugees from a war-torn planet settled on Samaria, supposedly carried there in the hands of Jovah, their god. At that time, Jovah also created angels, whose sung prayers control Samaria's turbulent weather. Gabriel is soon to take up his role as Archangel, political leader of both angels and humans. One of his most important responsibilities is to lead the Gloria, a mass performed yearly by representatives of all the people of Samaria, demonstrating their desire to live in peace and harmony. If the Gloria is not sung, Jovah will strike Samaria with deadly thunderbolts. The Archangel must be accompanied by the angelica, the Archangel's human bride, who is chosen by Jovah. To Gabriel's shock, his destined bride is Rachel, a defiant slave who is less than pleased by her impending marriage.

Praise

(unknown)"I was fascinated by 'Archangel'. Its premise is unusual, to say the least, its characters as provocative as the action. I was truly, deeply delighted." - Anne McCaffrey